limiting factor

American  

noun

1. Physiology. the slowest, therefore rate-limiting, step in a process or reaction involving several steps.

2. Biology. an environmental factor that tends to limit population size.

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Example Sentences

“As clusters scale, data transfer speeds are becoming a limiting factor, increasing the importance of optical components and materials,” Yardeni wrote.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

A state investigation found that even if the reservoir had been full, the flow rate in the pipes “would have been a limiting factor in maintaining pressure and the system would have been quickly overwhelmed.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

AI’s limiting factor is no longer algorithms or data — it’s the brute-force physics of data-center expansion.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 3, 2025

"In our model, the barrel staves spread out in steps," he says, "each step representing a new limiting factor that becomes active as the cell grows faster."

From Science Daily • Nov. 11, 2025

“The short life span has always been a prime limiting factor in education,” he told George and Julie.

From "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert C. O'Brien